Naina straightened. Meera finally raised her eyes.
All of them moved together.
Pandit ji stood waiting, a copper chisel wrapped in red cloth resting against his side. He greeted them with folded hands as both families gathered.
“Thakur Sa, shall we?”
Abhinav motioned forward and Pandit ji led them on.
They walked through the inner passages. Abhinav and Meera ahead. Sarita and Naina behind. Devendra and Gauri followed.
Past the courtyard. Into the old wing. Through a hidden door that drew a sharp intake from Naina.
“Wait…” She stopped, eyes wide. “This was here the whole time?”
Abhinav did not turn. “Yes.”
She stared at the doorway, then at him. “Bhai… you already knew about this?”
“Yes.”
She huffed and followed.
The staircase narrowed as it went down. One turn. Another. The air cooled with each step.
Naina slowed at some point.
“What is this place?” She whispered if the walls might reject anything louder.
Devendra moved closer to her as they went further down. “The heart of the Haveli, Bai Sa. Every Anand born here, married here, gone from here rests here. Their names are carved into these walls. There is a spring underground that predates the Haveli. Kul Devi’s blessing runs through it. Water from here has marked every important moment in this family for generations.”
Naina asked nothing more. She moved differently after that. More careful where she placed her feet.
The chamber opened ahead.
She entered with the others. As Pandit ji prepared the ritual, her eyes moved across the walls, taking in the names, the prayers, the symbols.
Her attention stopped at two carvings side by side.
Rajendra Kumar Anand. Sarita Rajendra Kumar Anand.
Their wedding date etched beneath.
Her palm rose automatically and pressed against the stone, over her father’s name. The surface felt cool, unyielding.
She couldn't speak. Her throat burned. She swallowed, forcing everything back into place, but it did not hold.
Sarita moved toward her.
Abhinav reached first.
His arm came around her shoulders and drew her in. Naina folded into him, her face pressed into his chest as the tears came, drawn from a place she had guarded for too long.
Abhinav kept his sister close. His hand rested at the back of her head, firm, anchoring. He had stood here once. He knew what it took to remain standing.
Naina clung to him for a few breaths before pulling back. She wiped her cheeks, drew in air that did not come easy, and turned toward Meera.
“Thank you, Bhabhi.” Her voice trembled, yet it held. “For not letting this Haveli be sold. For not letting… this…” Her eyes returned to the names. “For not letting a part of Papa end up in someone else’s hands.”
